Failure of Outpatient Treatment of Drug Abuse: I. Heroin
JOHN E. O'MALLEY M.D.1,
WILLIAM H. ANDERSON M.D.1, , and
AARON LAZARE M.D.2
1 Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Residents in Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. 02114
2 Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Director of Adult Outpatient Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
Two hundred six heroin users who appeared at the Walk-In Psychiatric Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital during an 18-month period showed no evidence of improvement although various treatment modalities including psychotropic drugs, individual and group psychotherapy, and methadone detoxification (not maintenance) were offered. The most striking finding was the small number of patients (three percent) who even followed the recommendation to return for a follow-up visit; this failure to return was independent of the type of treatment recommended.
